How to lower lead levels in child

5 Surprising Sources of Lead Exposure

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Lead poisoning is a serious risk for young kids. According to the Centers of Disease Control, more than half a million children ages 1-5 in the U.S. have blood lead levels high enough to damage their health. Even with treatment, lead poisoning can permanently affect a child's development. Because their bodies are small and growing, babies and young children are at greatest risk.

Many parents don't know much about how to prevent lead poisoning. Lead isn't only in paint chips. It can show up in surprising places -- like dust on your windowsill, or in your vegetable garden, or in a playground. Here are five surprising sources of lead -- and tips on how to keep your kids safe.

Lead Dust

Parents might worry about a baby eating big chips of lead paint. But it's the little paint chips -- so small that they're just bits of dust -- that experts say are a bigger concern.

Although lead-based paint hasn't been sold since 1978, plenty of older homes still have it. Tiny fragments of lead paint can float through the air and accumulate on surfaces throughout your house. Babies can pick them up on their hands and get them into their mouths. They can also breathe them in directly. Contrary to what you might think, it doesn't take much. Even at very low levels of exposure, lead dust can cause harm.

What you can do: If you live in a home built before 1978, have your home tested for lead. Ideally, hire a trained professional. Although less reliable, you could also test surface paint yourself with a home kit.

If you have lead, look into abatement. It can be expensive. Often, a cheaper option is encapsulation -- sealing the lead paint with a fresh layer of new paint.

Whatever you do, don't start scraping or sanding paint without precautions. That will just send lead dust throughout your home.

Lead and Home Renovations

Once you start a repair, painting, or renovation project in an older home, you can expose lead paint and send particles of it into the air.

Some states report that renovations are the single most common cause of childhood lead poisoning. One study in Wisconsin found that kids who lived in a building while it was being renovated had a 30% higher chance of lead poisoning than kids who didn't.

What you can do: If you're in an older home, be cautious before starting renovations. You should assume that there's lead in the paint unless you know otherwise. Remember that home kits will only test for lead on the surface, not in the layers beneath.

Check to make sure that your contractor or painter has been certified by the EPA in lead-safe work practices. If you're doing the construction yourself, get information from the EPA or the National Lead Information Center on how to do it safely.

If there's construction going on at your child's daycare or school, make certain they are taking precautions to prevent lead poisoning too.

Lead in the Backyard or Playground

Any structures built before 1978 -- houses, schools, barns, sheds, fences, and playground equipment -- might have once had lead paint on the exterior. As that paint breaks down, it can contaminate the soil beneath it.

A child playing in a yard or playground could pick up lead on their hands and swallow it. Some types of artificial turf and rubber playground surfaces can also contain lead.

Contaminated soil can affect the plants that grow in it. Carrots and other vegetables grown in lead-tainted soil can contain lead.

What you can do: Call your local department of health and ask how to get your soil tested for lead. If it's positive, you have a few options. You could reduce the risk by covering the area with thick grass, wood chips, or gravel; you could also pave it. Fencing off the area is another way to prevent your child from playing near it.

Never grow a garden in soil that's contaminated with lead. It's not worth the risk.

Lead in Children's Toys

Imported toys tainted with lead can be an issue. The lead can be both in the paint and in the plastic itself. Sucking or chewing on the toy -- or getting lead on the hands -- can be enough to poison a child.

Old toys are also a risk, especially if they have peeling paint.

Swallowing a toy with high lead levels can be very dangerous. Several kids have become gravely ill as a result.

What You Can Do: It's hard to be absolutely sure if a toy has lead in it or not. Start by checking www.recalls.gov to see if a specific toy has been recalled.

Be wary of cheaper toys -- like those from vending machines or street fairs -- and especially plastic jewelry. If you notice that your child is putting a toy in their mouth frequently and you're not absolutely sure it's lead-free, take it away. To lower the risks of poisoning, make sure that your child is playing with age-appropriate toys that they're not at risk of swallowing.

Don’t let your kids play with older toys if you don't know they're lead-free. That can mean declining hand-me-downs and toys purchased at garage sales or thrift stores. Remove any toy with chipped paint.

The safest choices for toys are unpainted wood, stuffed animals, and books.

Lead in Water Pipes

10%-20% of childhood lead poisoning is caused by contaminated drinking water. It might not surprise you that old plumbing -- especially from 1930 or earlier -- can contain lead. Some pipes were actually made of lead, and brass fixtures can also contain some lead.

Here's what is surprising: pipes in very new homes are potentially a greater risk for lead. Some plumbers still use lead solder to join copper pipes, which exposes the water directly to lead. The risk is highest in houses that are less than five years old; after that, mineral deposits build up in the pipes that insulate the water from the lead in the solder. According to the EPA, you should assume that any building less than five years old has lead-contaminated water.

Private wells can also be contaminated by lead in pump components or the well seal. Although pipes inside a home are usually the source of lead poisoning, sometimes lead comes from old pipes in the street that supply the water to your home.

What You Can Do: Contact your local health department or water utility to find out how you can get your water tested for lead.

If the source of the lead is in your home it -- in pipes, solder, or well equipment -- and you can't afford to remove it, take other precautions.

Only use cold water for cooking or drinking -- or for making baby formula -- because hot water is more likely to contain higher lead levels. If you haven't used a faucet in the last six hours, flush it out for one to two minutes before drinking or cooking with it. The longer water has been sitting in the pipes, the more lead it can absorb.

You can also consider a filter that has been proven to remove lead by an independent testing organization, like NSF international.

Other Tips for Reducing Lead Poisoning Risks

If there's lead in your home -- or there might be -- taking some simple precautions can reduce your child's risks.

Keep your home clean. Try to control dust in your house. Regularly wipe it up with a wet sponge or rag, especially in areas where friction might create dust from paint, like drawers, windows, and doors.
Don't track lead in from outside. Take off your shoes as you enter the house.
Keep your child's hands clean. Many children who get lead poisoning transfer lead from their hands to their mouths. Get in the habit of washing your child's hands frequently.
Wash toys, pacifiers, and bottles regularly. Anything that goes in your child's mouth needs to be clean.
Eat a healthy diet. Children who eat healthier diets seem to absorb less lead than children who don't.
Make sure your kids have the recommended lead tests. Since lead poisoning has no symptoms, it’s the only way to make sure that they haven't been affected. Routine testing is recommended for children younger than age 5. Ask your doctor about whether or not your older children should also be tested.

Preventing and Treating Lead Poisoning in Children

What problems does lead cause?

High lead levels in the body can cause problems with the brain, kidneys, and bone marrow (soft tissue inside bones). Symptoms of high lead levels can include belly pain, headaches, vomiting, confusion, muscle weakness, seizures, hair loss or anemia (low red blood cell count).

Lower levels of lead in the body can still cause problems, like trouble paying attention, behavior problems, learning difficulties and a fall in the IQ of young children. (IQ stands for “intelligence quotient” and is one measure of how smart a person is.)

In what ways are children exposed to lead?

More than 4 percent of children in the United States have lead poisoning. Rates of lead poisoning are even higher in large cities and among people with low incomes.

The most common cause of lead poisoning today is old paint with lead in it. Lead has not been used in house paint since 1978. However, many older houses and apartment buildings (especially those built before 1960) have lead-based paint on their walls.

Toddlers explore their world by putting things in their mouths. Therefore, young children who live in older buildings are at especially high risk of getting lead poisoning. Children can get lead poisoning by chewing on pieces of peeling paint or by swallowing house dust or soil that contains tiny chips of the leaded paint from these buildings.

Lead can also be in air, water and food. Lead levels in the air have gone down greatly since lead was taken out of gasoline in the 1970s. Lead is still found in some old water pipes, although using lead solder to mend or put together water pipes is no longer allowed in the United States. Lead can also be found in food or juice stored in foreign-made cans or improperly fired ceramic containers.

How can I lower the risk that my child will get lead poisoning?

Here are some things you can do to lower your family's risk of lead poisoning:

If you live in a house or an apartment built before 1978, ask your doctor about blood lead testing for your child and keep your child away from peeling paint. The peeling paint needs to be removed from all surfaces up to 5 feet above the floor. It is also a good idea to repaint the rooms to seal in the lead paint.
If you're remodeling an old home, seal off the rooms that are being worked on. For example, put heavy sheets of plastic over doorways and windows of the work area.
If there's a problem with lead poisoning in the area where you live, or if a lot of older houses in your neighborhood are being remodeled, have your family wipe their feet and take their shoes off before they come into your home. This will lower the chance of tracking soil with lead in it into your home.
Wash your child's hands and face before meals.

To get more information about what you can do to lower your family's exposure to lead, talk to your doctor or call your local health department.

What will my doctor do if my child's blood has a high level of lead?

During well-child checkups for your baby, toddler, or preschooler, your doctor will ask you questions to see if there is a chance that your child might get lead poisoning. The doctor might test your child's blood for lead.

If your child's blood lead level is above the acceptable range, your doctor will give you information on how you can lower your child's lead level. Your doctor will then test your child's blood lead level every few months until the level drops into the normal range.

Fortunately, only a small number of babies and children have high enough levels of lead in their blood that they need treatment. If your child's blood lead level is very high, your doctor will treat your child with medicine to lower the amount of lead in the blood.

If one or more of your children has high blood lead levels, your doctor will call your local health department. Persons from the health department can help by inspecting your home for old peeling paint and getting workers to remove the paint or cover it with new paint.

Lead poisoning

lead poisoning

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Lead poisoning

EPA/L. Koula
A man melts lead metallic wastes use in the production of cooking pots, at a recycling warehouse in Koumassi, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Key Facts

Lead is a poisonous substance whose accumulation affects a number of body systems and is especially harmful to young children.
In the body, lead enters the brain, liver, kidneys and bones. Over time, lead accumulates in teeth and bones. The dose of lead received by the human body, as a rule, is estimated by determining the content of lead in the blood.
Lead accumulated in bones enters the bloodstream during pregnancy and becomes a source of exposure to the developing fetus.
There is no standard intake of lead at which, according to available data, no harmful effects occur.
Lead exposure is preventable.

General Information

Lead is a natural toxic metal found in the earth's crust. Its widespread use has resulted in widespread environmental pollution, lead ingestion and significant public health problems in many parts of the world.

Lead mining, smelting, industrial use, recycling, and the use of lead in a wide range of products are important sources of environmental pollution. More than three-quarters of global lead consumption comes from the production of lead-acid batteries for motor vehicles. However, lead is also used in many other products, such as pigments, paints, solder, stained glass, lead crystal utensils, ammunition, ceramic glazes, jewelry, toys, as well as some cosmetics (such as kayal and sindur) and traditional medicine in India, Mexico, Vietnam and other countries. Lead can be found in drinking water supplied through lead pipes or pipes connected with lead solder. Currently, a significant part of the lead for the needs of the world economy is obtained as a result of recycling.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead, and their health may be subject to profound and irreversible negative changes, primarily affecting the development of the brain and nervous system. Lead also causes long-term effects in adults, including an increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage. Exposure to high levels of lead in pregnant women can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births and low birth weight newborns.

Sources and routes of exposure

People may be exposed to lead through work or contact with environmental objects. It is mainly caused by:

inhalation of lead particles from the combustion of materials containing lead, such as smelting, recycling, removing lead paint and using leaded aviation gasoline; and
ingestion of lead-contaminated dust, water (from lead pipes), and food (from containers made with lead glaze or lead solder).

Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning because they absorb 4 to 5 times more lead from any source than adults. Because of children's inherent curiosity and age-specific desire to put their hands in their mouths, children put lead-containing or lead-coated objects into their mouths and swallow, such as contaminated soil or dust and peeling lead paint. This route of exposure is especially dangerous for children who suffer from a psychological disorder called pica (constant and obsessive cravings for inedible things), who can pick and eat lead paint from walls, door frames, and furniture. Exposure to lead-contaminated soil and dust from battery recycling and mining has been responsible for massive lead poisoning and many deaths among young children in Nigeria, Senegal and elsewhere.

When lead enters the body, it is distributed to organs such as the brain, kidneys, liver and bones. Lead is deposited in teeth and bones, where it accumulates over time. Lead deposited in bone tissue can return to the blood during pregnancy, exposing the fetus to its effects. Malnourished children are more susceptible to lead exposure because their bodies absorb more lead when other nutrients, such as calcium or iron, are deficient. The most at risk are very young children (including fetuses in utero) and children living in poor families.

Children's health effects

Lead exposure can have serious health effects on children. At high levels, lead disrupts the functioning of the brain and central nervous system, causing coma, seizures, and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may experience mental retardation and behavioral problems. At lower levels of exposure, which do not cause any overt symptoms, lead causes a range of damage to various body systems. In particular, lead can affect children's brain development and lead to a decrease in intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioral changes such as reduced attention spans and increased antisocial behavior, and poor learning outcomes. Lead exposure also causes anemia, hypertension, kidney failure, immune toxicosis, and toxic damage to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioral effects of lead exposure are considered irreversible.

There is no “safe” blood lead concentration; even as low as 3.5 mcg/dl of lead in the blood can cause intellectual decline, behavioral problems and learning difficulties in children (1). As blood lead levels increase, the spectrum and severity of symptoms and sequelae increase.

Fortunately, the elimination and use of leaded gasoline in most countries, as well as other restrictive measures against the use of this metal, have led to a significant decrease in blood lead concentrations at the population level. As of July 2021, leaded fuel for cars and trucks is not sold in any country in the world (2). However, more efforts are needed to eliminate the use of lead paint: to date, only 45% of countries have legal restrictions on the use of lead paint (3).

Burden of disease attributable to lead exposure

The 2021 update of the World Health Organization Public Health Exposure to Chemicals: Known and Unknown Factors estimates that in 2019 almost half of the 2 million deaths in as a result of established exposure to chemicals was caused by the intake of lead in the body. Globally, long-term health effects from lead exposure are estimated to result in 21.7 million life years lost due to disability and death (disability-adjusted life years, DALYs), causing 30% of the global burden of idiopathic intellectual disability, 4 6% of the global burden of cardiovascular disease and 3% of the burden of chronic kidney disease.

WHO activities

WHO has identified lead as one of the 10 chemicals of major public health concern requiring action by Member States to protect workers, children and women of childbearing age. WHO has published a wide range of information materials on lead on its website, including information for policy makers, technical guidance and campaign materials. WHO has developed guidelines for the clinical management of people exposed to lead and is developing and is preparing guidelines for the prevention of lead exposure that will provide policy makers, health authorities and healthcare professionals with evidence-based advice on measures they can take to protect the health of children and adults from lead exposure.

As lead paint continues to be a source of exposure in many countries, WHO, together with the United Nations Environment Programme, has formed the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint. In addition, WHO is a partner in a project funded by the Global Environment Facility to help at least 40 countries enact legislation to limit the use of lead paint (3) . The phase-out of lead paint by 2020 is one of the priority government actions included in the WHO Roadmap to Empower the Health Sector in the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management to help us reach the 2020 target and beyond.

1) US CDC Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. CDC updates blood lead reference value to 3.5µg/dL. Atlanta: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2021 (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/news/cdc-updates-blood-lead-reference-value.html).

(2) End of leaded fuel use a “milestone for multilateralism” press release https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/08/1098792, 2021.

(3) SAICM GEF Project - Lead in Paint Component

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Lead poisoning | Symptoms, complications, diagnosis and treatment

Lead poisoning occurs when lead accumulates in the body, often over several months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Children under the age of 6 are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can seriously affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.

Paint and lead-contaminated dust in old buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children. Other sources include polluted air, water and soil. Adults who work with batteries, do home repairs, or work in auto repair shops can also be exposed to lead.

There is a treatment for lead poisoning, but taking some simple precautions can help protect you and your family from lead exposure before harm occurs.

Symptoms

Initially, lead poisoning can be difficult to detect - even people who appear healthy may have high levels of lead in their blood. Signs and symptoms usually do not appear until dangerous amounts of the substance have accumulated in the body.

Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children include:

Developmental delay
Learning problems
Irritability
Loss of appetite
Weight Loss
Lethargy and fatigue
Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Constipation
Hearing loss
Seizures

Symptoms of lead poisoning in adults

Although children are primarily at risk, lead poisoning is also dangerous for adults. Signs and symptoms in adults may include:

High blood pressure
Muscle pain
Difficulties with memory or concentration
Headache
Abdominal pain
Mood disorders
Reduction in sperm count and abnormal semen
Miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth in pregnant women

Causes

Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust, but human activities - mining, burning fossil fuels and manufacturing - have caused it to become more widespread. Lead was also once used in paint and gasoline, and is still used in batteries, solder, pipes, ceramics, roofing materials, and some cosmetics.

Lead in paint

Lead-based home paint, children's toys, and home furniture have been banned in the United States since 1978. But lead-based paint is still found on walls and woodwork in many older homes and apartments. Most lead poisoning in children is the result of ingestion of deteriorating lead-based paint chips.

Lead can sometimes also be found in:

Soil. Lead particles from leaded gasoline or paint are deposited on soil and can last for years. Lead-contaminated soil continues to be a major problem on highways and in some urban environments. Some soils near the walls of old houses contain lead.
Household dust. Household dust may contain lead from lead paint chips or outdoor contaminated soil.
Ceramic. Glazes found on some pottery, china may contain lead, which can leach into food served or stored in the pottery.
Toys. Lead is occasionally found in toys and other products made abroad.
Cosmetics. Tiro, an eye cosmetic from Nigeria, has been linked to lead poisoning.
Herbal or folk remedies. Lead poisoning has been associated with grita and azarkon, traditional Latin American medicines, and some from India, China, and other countries.
Sweets. Tamarind, an ingredient used in some candies, may contain lead.
Professions . People are exposed to lead and can bring it home on their clothes when they work in auto repair, mining, pipe fittings, battery manufacturing, painting, construction, and some other areas.